"Kitchens in our market used to be open to the great room, but now they are more separated from the great room. They are one large space with a seating area than can accommodate a couple of chairs or a loveseat. It functions more like a large morning room - as an alternate space to entertain and live in on a daily basis. Great rooms have, consequently, gone down in size, to accommodate the larger size of the kitchen."

Dennis Brozak, of Design Basics in Omaha, also sees the kitchen evolving. "In the 1980s and 1990s, kitchen cabinets underwent a major beautification. And now they are almost as important as furniture in the home. The kitchen has taken on a family room feel. Our design has come to reflect the fact that the kitchen is the control center of the home."

In the same way the fast-paced lifestyles of homebuyers affected the master suites for David Loftus, they have also affected the design of kitchens in his market. "In the last two years it has really started changing because no one has time to sit down and eat at the breakfast area. So I am designing kitchens that essentially eliminate the breakfast area. I'm designing a galley-type kitchen with a 3/4 breakfast island and large eating bar. It functions as a conversation area where buyers can see the TV as well as different views throughout the kitchen."

Photos by Phil Bell.